Tim Roth

With a resume that boasted an assortment of villains and ne'er-do-wells, actor Tim Roth often had to avoid being typecast in order to play roles that demonstrated his extraordinary talents. Equally at...
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This week, Eli Roth invites you to witness what he calls The Last Exorcism, but let's face the film facts here people: Priest's have been exorcising demons in Hollywood long before the world cared about him (does anyone even care now?). The religious method of cleansing the possessed is as much a myth as it is a mystery, but it has always been a great subject for movies. In honor of the spooky new film, which hits theaters this Friday, we've exercised our own knowledge of film history to bring you a Brief Timeline of Cinematic Exorcisms. Check out the history of this horror sub-genre below!
Blithe Spirit (1945) In what is more than likely the very first cinematic exorcism, Blithe Spirit focuses on a husband and his second wife who are haunted by the ghost of his first, named Elvira (coincidence? I think not). The married couple seeks the help of a medium named Madame Arcati, who contacts the deceased lover and tries to fix up this nasty little triangle. There are more chuckles than thrills in this Golden Age fantasy-comedy, but it deserves a spot in our timeline because I don’t think you’ll find an exorcism on film before it. The Devils (1971) In Ken Russell’s 1971 shocker, you will find many sequences of depraved acts that make an exorcism look tame. The film is a dramatized historical account of the rise and fall of Urbain Grandier, a 17th-century French priest executed for witchcraft following the supposed possessions of Loudun. You could view the film as a warm-up to The Passion of the Christ in terms of its graphic violence, but in addition to crucifixion and torture, this one’s got nuns involved in an orgy at the feet of a statue of Christ, as well as Vanessa Redgrave masturbating with a human bone. Chew on that, Father Merrin. The Exorcist (1973) Though there may have been examples of exorcisms in movies before it, William Friedkin’s incredibly frightening film has become the fictional benchmark for the religious practice. Both cinematically intense and controversial within the religious community, it is the most successful horror film of all time and rightly so: There are images within that you won’t easily forget. Martin (1977) A B-movie for the history books, George A. Romero’s Martin is a vampire-romance tale with just a touch of exorcism. The title character is an obsessive “serial feeder” (I just made that up) who preys on young women, grifters and criminals in and around Braddock, PA. His old-school Greek grand uncle attempts to shoo away the evil inside him by contacting two priests to perform an exorcism, but they are unsuccessful. Martin eventually meets a tragic fate as his own “blood” ironically kills him. The Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) Far from the success of its predecessor, the sequel to Friedkin’s masterpiece was directed by John Boorman, who presented a more allegorical and symbolic story that failed to captivate audiences the way the original did. In many ways it’s a rehash of The Exorcist, but it explores the positive side of the supernatural. Beetlejuice (1987) We’ll now take another break from William Peter Blatty’s satanic saga and travel to Winter River, CT, where the recently deceased Maitlands meet the afterlife’s leading bio-exorcist, Betelgeuse. Tim Burton gave horror fans a lighter look at the world of the dead as Michael Keaton’s wild and crazy supernatural swinger rids Barbara and Adam of their house’s new owners. Additionally, we get the rare opportunity to see what happens to ghosts who have been exorcised via the Lost Souls room. Exorcist III (1990) “Save your prayers, God is not here with us now” -- and neither is any sign of true quality in W.P. Blatty’s cinematic adaptation of his own novel, Legion, which he claimed was the true sequel to the original 1973 film. Though the film is cemented within the Exorcist canon, it’s really more of a standalone serial-killer/murder mystery hiding behind the title of the greatest horror movie ever. Repossessed (1990) No classic film is above being parodied, and The Exorcist was the victim of satire in this lowbrow comedy that cast Linda Blair as, essentially, Regan MacNeil all grown up with a family of her own. When the Devil possesses her once again, it’s up to Father Jebedaiah Mayii (Leslie Nielsen) to exorcise the demon. By this point, exorcisms were so ingrained in global pop culture that the magic of the film that made the religious practice a phenomenon had been nearly forgotten. Scary Movie II (2001) Continuing on in the tradition of mocking cinematic staples, the Wayans brothers conjured a blue-chip franchise by mashing together parodies of hit horror premises. The second film in the series featured a riotous vignette that at once parodies and pays homage to The Exorcist. Exorcist: The Beginning (2004) After 14 years and many spoofs, the horror franchise that made “exorcism” a household term returned to shock a new generation of moviegoers. Unfortunately, the tricks of ‘70s cinema didn’t work as well in a world of contemporary special effects, and though there were some frightening moments in the film, it didn’t reach the level of terror that fans were hoping for. Constantine (2005) In the decade of superhero cinema, Warner Bros. found a way to reinvent the exorcism with this underrated comic-book adaptation. Keanu Reeves plays an irreverent supernatural detective who casts away demons in Los Angeles. The exorcisms are physically brutal, and, with plausible makeup and prosthetics, the victims are genuinely horrifying. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) The year 2005 gave the world a double dose of exorcisms. The second helping came in the form of a fictionalized account of the story of Anneliesse Michel, a German girl who authorities claim was truly possessed by the Devil. The film is an interesting mix of courtroom drama and true horror. Thanks in large part to Jennifer Carpenter’s chilling performance as Emily Rose, the film is a fitting companion piece to The Exorcist, one that attempts to scientifically explain demonic possession and exorcisms and also questions the moral and legal ramifications of performing one. The Last Exorcism (2010) As stated earlier, don’t think that this will be the last film to feature an exorcism, especially if it performs well. Eli Roth’s low-budget faux-documentary centers on a troubled evangelical minister who agrees to let his last exorcism be filmed. The trailer looks decent and the reviews are surprisingly good, so hopefully this will be another solid entry into the sub-genre of horror.

20th Century Fox's Planet of the Apes prequel, aptly titled Rise of the Apes, has been in development for a long time. Since the film was greenlit, there hasn't been much movement aside from director Rupert Wyatt and star James Franco being hired. Today, we get a bit more insight into the production as two major characters are cast.
The Hollywood Reporter states that John Lithgow and Freida Pinto will work on the Peter Chernin produced prequel. Lithgow will play Franco's Alzheimer's-stricken father, while Pinto, the female lead, plays a primatologist who works in the lab with Franco's scientist. Together, the two lab rats work on a cure for Alzheimer's by testing on apes. The test subject named Caesar evolves rapidly, and the scientist takes him home to live with him and protects him from cruel doctors, but as the beast grows smarter and smarter, he begins to lead his species to world domination.
I'm psyched that these two gifted performers will be joining the project, but I can't deny that I'd love to see them both play fully evolved apes like Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Roth in Tim Burton's 2001 blockbuster. I, of course, realize that this is a prequel to a storied sci-fi series and given the premise of the film, know that we aren't going to see many Apes on that level of sophistication, but a guy can think "what if", right?
Rise of the Apes shoots this summer in British Columbia under the supervision of producers Chernin and Dylan Clark.

Roth tackled Edward Norton as the green giant in the 2008 movie, playing villain Emil Blonsky.
The star admits he has been contracted for three Hulk movies, and hopes Hollywood executives pick up the option for a sequel as he had so much fun shooting the action picture.
He tells MTV.com, "I don’t know if they want to bring (my character) back, but I told them I’m absolutely game for it. It would be so much fun to do it again. I’m in it for three.
"I had the best time ever with that one - more fun on set than anybody. I did it purely for my kids, so my boys can laugh at their dad and have fun with it."

TV personality Russ Richards (Travolta) is such a splashy big fish in his small town that he has a personal booth and his own parking space at the local Denny's. But when a rash of unseasonably warm weather puts the kibitz on his snowmobile dealership the living-beyond-his-means weatherman takes the advice of his strip-club owner pal (Tim Roth) and plots to tamper with the ping-pong balls that his girlfriend sifts as mistress of the lottery.
After years of perfecting his irony Travolta is back to the broad comedy of Vinnie Barbarino and this time he's top of the class. Travolta's turn of cheesy phrase all-out hokeyness and lily-livered fatuousness make him a delightfully bumbling nitwit. His character's desire is to become a game-show host and as we watch him fixate on a videotape of his hero Bob Eubanks this good-hearted boob captures our heart. Champion "Friends" transcender Kudrow tickles us silly as a gutter-mouthed tough cookie masquerading as an alluring sweetheart with comically idiotic Vanna White gestures.
Known for heartwarming feel-good romances like "Sleepless in Seattle" and "You've Got Mail " Nora Ephron ventures into edgier darker and quirkier terrain here and hits the jackpot without a trace of Tom Hanks. Even though this story is loosely based on real events in Pennsylvania in 1980 the comedy that arises from bumbling amateurs and their botched crimes is a tried-and-true formula. Ephron's challenge is making it funny again and she succeeds with a cast of off-kilter performances that swerve from the usual stereotypes whilst providing likable good guys and likable bad guys.

In his television series starring debut, Tim Roth has taken the lead role in Fox's one-hour pilot Lie to Me, today’s trades report.
Roth will play Dr. Cal Lightman, a scientist who pioneered the field of deception detection. A sort of human lie detector, he’s skilled at reading the human face, body and voice to uncover the truth in criminal and private investigations. Then again, the fact that the character can apply the same skills to his personal life complicates his relationships. The science in the show is genuine, based on the work of Dr. Paul Ekman, Variety notes
Lie has a 13-episode commitment at Fox and is being executive produced by Brian Grazer, who had been pursuing Roth for three months. He agreed to the role just this weekend.
Roth has previously appeared on British TV and just starred in Louis Leterrier’s The Incredible Hulk, Michael Haneke’s Funny Games and Francis Ford Coppola’s Youth Without Youth.

Chronicled before in countless comic books a ‘70s television series and of course Ang Lee’s critically lambasted 2003 big screen version The Incredible Hulk remains one of Marvel’s treasured creations. The innate story revolves around scientist Dr. Bruce Banner whose cells are poisoned by gamma radiation and who frequently unleashes his inner monster--the mean green machine known as the Hulk. Thankfully this spruced-up version doesn’t waste a lot of time giving us the back story. Instead it launches right into the problems at hand. Banner (Edward Norton) now forced to be apart from the love of his life Dr. Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) and living on the edges of society is desperately looking for the antidote that will cure him of his unique rage. His immediate task however is avoiding the dogged pursuit of the U.S. military machine aiming--led by Betty’s father General Ross (William Hurt)--to exploit his unique powers. This quest has led them all to the outskirts of Brazil where Banner is on the loose. Ross employs the services of super-soldier Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) to do the deed a job that leads to Blonsky’s own re-invention as The Abomination--and setting up the ultimate battle of battles when both are back in America. Marvel Studios is on a roll when it comes to unique casting ideas this summer. First they re-ignited 40-something Robert Downey Jr.’s career in an inspired idea to make him Iron Man--and now travel the unlikely route of putting Edward Norton a fine actor not known for popcorn action fare in the Bruce Banner part. Norton brings an urgency wit and intelligence to the role that was sorely missing when Eric Bana took it on in Lee’s version. We really understand the anger raging within and Banner’s determined desire to get rid of it. Just as in classic movie monsters like King Kong there is great empathy for the monster that is unleashed in the form of the Hulk . Much of that is do to Norton’s smart take and dedication (he’s an uncredited co-writer) in creating this incarnation of Banner. He owns this role now. Whatever reported conflicts happened in production the final results are worth it. Tyler’s Betty Ross is nicely played and full of the appropriate passion while Tim Blake Nelson has some hilarious super-hyper moments as the scientist who may hold the key to Banner’s salvation. Hurt is properly authoritative and evil as the General out for Banner’s power. And finally Roth scrappy and fierce as Norton’s main nemesis and his perfect match. Young French director Louis Leterrier (Transporter 2) proves the perfect choice to finally make Hulk work on screen. His fast-paced take-no-prisoners filmmaking style--mixed with his professed love of all things Hulk when he was growing up as a kid in Paris--have paid off handsomely. He clearly has a vision and moves this thing along like a freight train almost a non-stop chase in the same spirit that powered last summer’s supreme sequel The Bourne Ultimatum. Not shackled with Ang Lee’s problems in creating a credible monster Leterrier is the beneficiary of strong advances in CGI and the Hulk and Abomination are both state-of-the-art iconic visual effects. The ultimate “Godzilla vs Mothra”-style battle at the end is flawlessly pulled off and a marvel to watch (pun intended). Leterrier has achieved some of the best action sequences ever but not at a human cost which is really remarkable in a summer comic book blockbuster like this. At the center are recognizable people we can root for--and against--right up to the end of the breezy 104-minute running time when an unexpected cameo in the form of another comic book superstar makes a surprise appearance.

Violence is the real story here: symbols of how media portrays it changes it as well as the general public's ideas about it. The story starts idyllic at a white-washed bayside peaceful summer house. Married couple George (Tim Roth) and Susanne (Naomi Watts) bring their fair-haired boy Georgie (Devon Gearhart) and sailboat out for fun and recreation. In the background their neighbors let an uninvited pushy twosome of boys named Paul and Peter (Michael Pitt and Brady Corbet) onto their private grounds. The adolescent guys soon show up at George and Susanne's screen door weirdly needing eggs. These villains at first seem as though they're only guilty of being inconsiderate and clumsy when Peter drops the eggs and Susanne's cell phone into a sink full of water. But the boys soon turn decidedly nastier. Killing the family dog cracking George's knees with a golf club and tying Susanne up Paul makes them a bet: that all three will be dead in 24 hours. It is one of the film's several “games ” a motif running throughout Funny Games--except they are not at all funny. We can continue our love affair with the superb Naomi Watts. She singlehandedly brings much nuanced credibility to any film she's in--from tiny quirky indies (Ellie Parker) to blockbusters (King Kong) to Funny Games an amped-up genre flick. It's hard not to feel for Susanne's plight through Watts’ expressive eyes and her flashes of intelligence. Michael Pitt (The Dreamers) and Brady Corbet (Thirteen) also deserve credit in their own right looking harmless and rigorously conformist in their all-white appearance. They use silence and awkwardness to show them to be all the more antisocial and deviant. Their criminality makes an unusual impact. Even Tim Roth who plays the half-conscious tortured husband almost as a caricature evokes sympathy. Funny Games is director Michael Haneke’s shot-by-shot American remake of his 1997 Austrian film of the same name. The suspense scenes are world-class in ratcheting up the nerves much like Stanley Kubrick does with The Shining. When Peter comes after Georgie for example the building of the boy's fear is genius and unfettered with conventions. Haneke doesn't jolt the audience with messy noise and slight-of-hand allowing the characters' pure cruelty drive the fear. Funny Games gets a little big for its britches at times especially when Haneke uses the narrative to make larger social commentaries about the media. Its relevance (and the point's clarity) seems disingenuous. In any event audiences will react differently to the comically perverse violence: some will be horrified and delighted at the film’s exploitation others will see the humor but will be hesitant to express it. Funny Games is just a one of those polarizing films.

For years Coppola tried to get Megalopolis off the ground. When he failed to nail the sci-fi epic’s script he turned his attention to Romanian author Mircea Eliade’s novella Youth Without Youth. After years of doing Hollywood’s bidding to pay off the debts stemming from One From the Heart Coppola clearly felt an emotional connection to a story about a writer trying to complete his life’s work. When we first meet Dominic Matei (Tim Roth) in pre-World War Two Bucharest the 70-year-old professor has resigned himself to never finishing his book about the origin of language. He’s even contemplating suicide. Then he’s struck by lightning. Burned beyond recognition and initially unable to talk or move Matei stuns his doctor (Bruno Ganz) by making a full recovery. He’s also now looks and feels like a man 30 years his junior. But Matei is forced into hiding when the Nazis take an interest in his renewed youthfulness. He spends the war years in Switzerland where he works on his book with renewed vigor and uses his newfound powers to make money. But he’s not alone. Matei’s philosophical quandary--will he employs his powers for good or evil?--results in the manifestation of a double with whom he debates everything. He does find himself flesh-and-blood company when the war ends. Matei and Veronica (Alexandra Maria Lara) meet cute--he finds her in a cave hours after she too has been struck by lightning. Only his newfound soul mate now possesses the transmigrated soul of a 7th century Indian woman--and “Rupini” holds the key to Matei finishing his masterwork. Thank goodness Tim Roth dispenses with the aging makeup quickly. He wears it worse than Javier Bardem does in Love in the Time of Cholera. Once Roth’s out of his hospital bed he makes a masterful physical transformation from old man to young buck. Slowly but surely he loses his shuffle straightens his shoulders and begins to walk with all the energy and purpose of a man half his age. While finding much delight in Matei’s miraculous recovery Roth also delves into the frustrated writer’s subconscious to convey the fears suspicions and contradictions that come with being placed in such a unique situation. More important Roth never resorts to unnecessary theatrics to portray a “strange superman of the future” occasionally at odds with himself. There’s a playfulness and confidence to the double that’s missing from Matei but Roth communicates this in a subtle but powerful manner. Lara though is awfully blank as Veronica and Rupini. Yes Veronica and Rupini exist only to push Matei to his limits morally and professionally but Lara fails to at least make either woman vaguely interesting than their defined roles. As Matei’s doctor Ganz stumbles through Youth Without Youth with a look of astonishment plastered on his face. Andre Hennicke is all business as a Nazi scientist determined to get his hands on Matei. Alexandra Pirici is suitably seductive as a German spy who does get to put her hands on Matei—and inevitably pays the price for preventing Matei from becoming “a valuable human specimen.” Unlike Tucker: The Man and His Dream Youth Without Youth never draws you into its long-suffering protagonist’s plight or pursuit of excellence. It’s not because things get too outlandish. Francis Ford Coppola quickly establishes this is a Twilight Zone-ish portrait of how much a man is willing to sacrifice to complete his life’s work. Matei’s condition offers many avenues to explore. What would you do if you had 30 years shaved off your life? Unfortunately Matei is so wrapped up in his work that it’s impossible to concern yourself too much for him or his goals. Coppola never shows through Matei’s eyes how the world changes and fails to create a sense that his resurrection has any great meaning. Coppola doesn’t even examine the full extent of Matei’s powers. Matei’s initial transformation from suicidal failure to “living dead man” is compelling but that’s mostly because of the wartime intrigue to be found early in the film. Once hostilities end and Matei meets the verbose Veronica Youth Without Youth immediately becomes pretentious and protracted. And as it plods toward its inevitable conclusion you’ll not care what decision Matei will make when he must choose between Veronica and his book. And that’s the worst thing to say about a film that marks the emancipation of a true original. While this misspent Youth is not a disaster like One From the Heart Coppola needs to make better use of his newfound artistic and financial freedom. The last thing anyone wants is for him to have to whore himself out to Hollywood again.

Quentin Tarantino has a strong feeling he was William Shakespeare in a former life.
The Pulp Fiction director feels he was born to write--because it's in his soul, and though he'd never seriously suggest he's prolific Shakespeare reincarnated, Tarantino can't rule the possibility out.
He tells GQ magazine, "I've always had a thought maybe that I might have been Shakespeare in another life.
"I don't really believe that 100 percent, and I don't really care about Shakespeare, I've never been into Shakespeare, but then people are constantly bringing up all of these qualities in my work that mirror Shakespearean tragedies and moments and themes.
"People have written lots of pieces about the parallels of my work and Shakespeare.
"I remember in the case of Reservoir Dogs, writing this scene where the undercover cop is teaching Tim Roth how to be an undercover cop, and when the actors came in to rehearse it, Harvey Keitel read it, and he thought I had just taken Hamlet's speech to the players and broke it down into modern words.
"I'd never read Hamlet's speech to the players."
The moviemaker also thinks he was a black slave in America and a Japanese gentleman in former lives.
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Appeared with John Travolta and Lisa Kudrow in Nora Ephron's "Lucky Numbers"

Attended art school to learn sculpting before switching to acting

Provided the link for the various stories as Ted the bellhop in anthology film "Four Rooms"; only actor to appear in each of the four segments helmed by Allison Anders, Tarantino, Alexandre Rockwell, and Robert Rodriguez

First mainstream Hollywood film lead, as the villainous Archibald Cunningham in "Rob Roy"; received Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor

Portrayed noted American serial killer Charles Starkweather in the bleak ABC miniseries "Murder in the Heartland"

Worked on stage with the Glasgow Citizen's Theatre, the Royal Court, and the Oval House

Cast as the villainous ape General Thade in Tim Burton's adaptation of "Planet of the Apes"

Made acting debut in a school production of "Dracula" at age 16

Cast as diner robber Pumpkin in Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction"; role specifically written for him

Made critically acclaimed debut as a director with "The War Zone"

Cast as the villainous Emil Blonsky opposite Edward Norton in "The Incredible Hulk"

Summary

With a resume that boasted an assortment of villains and ne'er-do-wells, actor Tim Roth often had to avoid being typecast in order to play roles that demonstrated his extraordinary talents. Equally at home in both comedy and drama, Roth made an immediate impression as an unrepentant skinhead - complete with swastika tattoo on his forehead - in his first onscreen performance, "Made in Britain" (1982). He quickly became in demand after playing an assassin-in-training in "The Hit" (1984), then made a name for himself in the United States as a troubled Vincent Van Gogh in Robert Altman's "Vincent & Theo" (1990). But it was his work with Quentin Tarantino in "Reservoir Dogs" (1992) and "Pulp Fiction" (1994) that cemented his status as one of the top stars of the independent world. Following an Oscar-nominated turn in "Rob Roy" (1995), Roth settled into playing varying degrees of malcontents before cracking big budget Hollywood with a major role in "Planet of the Apes" (2001) and stealing the show from everyone else. After disappearing into several foreign-made films, Roth re-emerged to play the arch-villain in "The Incredible Hulk" (2008), once again solidifying - and perhaps perpetuating - his image as Hollywood's go-to bad guy.

Family name was originally Smith, but changed it to Roth after WWII; was a member of the British Communist Party; Divorced from Tim's mother

Anne Roth

Mother

Divorced from Tim's father

Michael Roth

Son

Born 1996; mother, Nikki Butler

Timothy Roth

Son

Born May 4, 1995; mother, Nikki Butler

Education

Name

Dick Sheppard Comprehensive

Camberwell School of Art

Notes

"I don't have to sell the film or carry it on my back. I come in and tear up the scenery and I leave. That's much more fun for me. I don't look like a romantic lead. I don't have the face. Luckily, I get the other parts, which is more interesting to me." – Roth to the Daily News, April 11, 1995

"I have a hard time between jobs because I'm always convinced I'll never work again. I think it may be an English thing, this fear of unemployment, because that's mostly how one's time is spent over there." – Roth to New York Newsday, April 12, 1995

Tim Roth on being asked which of his films he liked the most: "The first one, 'Made in Britain.' That's where I lost my virginity. I'd always harbored the notion of doing film acting, more so than stage acting. I had the lead role, first time out. I'd never been in front of a camera before and I loved it. But it wasn't like I was working with an assh*le. I was working with one of the best British directors [the late Alan Clarke]." – from Interview magazine, February 1997

"It's only because of him [Alan Clarke] that I'm sitting here. His example took me through the entire film ['The War Zone']. Alan was wonderful with actors – you felt clutched, held close, protected. He had this absolute love for his performers and that's the atmosphere I was trying to create on set." – Roth quoted in Sight and Sound magazine, August 1999

"Tim Roth is aptly named, for there is inside him a kind of ever-simmering wrath, a voodoo anger that he has learned to channel through the prism of performance leaving a trail of irradiated punk characters in his wake." – Neil Norman writing in London's Evening Standard, Aug. 25, 1999

On his refusal to audition for any director (including Steven Spielberg in 1993), Roth told Empire in October 1999: "It's not an egotistical thing, I'm just crap at it. I figured I'd lose 50 per cent of the work by reading, or I'd lose 50 per cent of the work – happily – by not reading. Y'know, go and get a tape out of Blockbuster and see if I can speak. I mean, I'll meet with anybody, I don't mind that. But the process of auditioning, I really find too stressful."

"Directing takes a good three years. I didn't want to be away that long. I was worried they wouldn't want me back." – Roth on why it took so long for him to make his directorial debut, quoted in The New York Times, Nov. 28, 1999